Syria: Helicopters rushed into the night on October 26, bringing US special forces to the supreme leader of the IS Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi IS shelter.

Half a globe away, President Trump watched a two-hour raid through live-streaming video as US special forces entered the lair and finished him. He described it "as if you were watching a movie".

Trump said the US began receiving intelligence that Baghdadi in Idlib about a month ago, including some "useful" information from the Kurds. However, two anonymous sources told NYTimes that the US had known about Baghdadi's whereabouts since July, after his wife and messenger were arrested.

Idlib is the last stronghold of the opposition to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, primarily controlled by the rebel coalition against the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) group. However, hundreds of IS fighters are said to remain here. The Russian-backed Syrian army is located in the east, west and south of Idlib.

The location of the house was raided. Graphics: BBC.

US intelligence officials "pinpointed" his exact location two weeks ago: a small block outside Barisha village in Idlib, 5 km south of Turkey. The campaign on October 26 was approved by Trump that morning, after he received "intelligence worthy of action", US Vice President Mike Pence said.

On October 26, Trump returned to the White House at about 4:30 pm Eastern time (22:30 Syria time) after playing golf in Virginia. At around 17:00, he was present at the White House Situation Room with Vice President Mike Pence, Defense Secretary Mark Esper, national security advisor Robert O'Brien and other intelligence officials to track the situation. raid through the screen.

After 17:00 Eastern American time (4h Hanoi time October 27) 8 Delta helicopter carrying helicopters took off from a location in the Middle East. Trump did not specify the location, but an unnamed White House official said the operation was deployed from an air base in western Iraq.

Delta forces are special task forces focused on counterterrorism missions and are often deployed to capture high-value targets. Ground operations in Idlib are supported by aircraft and military ships. Forces are also armed with military robots but are ultimately unused.

Helicopters have been flying for more than an hour in areas controlled by many countries, including Russian and Syrian forces. Prior to the raid, the US had asked permission from Russia, Iraq and Turkey to fly over their airspace. The United States informed them in advance that it was conducting a campaign but did not give details on its missions and objectives.

"Flights in and out are very dangerous. There is a risk that our forces will face intense fire," Trump said. "They flew very low and very fast."

Just before landing in the target building, US forces were hit by fire. US aircraft returned fire, eliminating the threat before landing safely. A villager in Barisha said the helicopter fired 30 minutes before the task force hit the ground. This person recounted that the helicopter fired missiles at two houses, flattening one.

After the helicopter landed, the task force exploded the walls of the building to create a gap. They avoided going through the main door believing it had been trapped. US forces quickly moved out of the compound "those who surrendered, were shot or killed". 11 children were taken, they were not injured and looked after by a third party. American soldiers also captured some IS fighters.

Baghdadi fled down the tunnel of the block, taking his three young children with him. US forces called for Baghdadi to surrender in Arabic but he refused. American special forces have memorized the structure of the house before, remembering every nook and cranny, hiding places and every possible way out. Knowing that Baghdadi was running into a dead end, the task forces moved slowly and were chased by professional dogs.

Desperate that there was no turning back, Baghdadi activated a suicide bomber jacket, killed his life and his three children, causing the tunnel to partially collapse. No American soldiers were injured in the operation, however, a professional dog was seriously injured.

Baghdadi's body was "broken into pieces due to the explosion", so US forces had to check DNA on the spot to confirm their identity. This process takes about 15 minutes. Tests were carried out by technicians who accompanied the task force with a sample of Baghdadi's DNA. These technicians also brought pieces of his body on the helicopter back.

The US has confirmed that it has defeated the IS supreme leader but has not independently confirmed Baghdadi's death. IS supporters warn each other that they cannot fully trust the US announcement.

US forces stayed in the building for an additional two hours to confiscate sensitive IS documents, including the group's future plans. After the withdrawal, the US fighter fired 6 rockets at the compound, leveling it. They return to their starting point with their original flight.

National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien said Baghdadi's body would be "properly handled". He left open the possibility that the US would handle the same way it did with Osama bin Laden in 2011 as a burial.

Bin Laden's body was then washed and wrapped in a white cloth on the Carl Vinson aircraft carrier, then put into a bag attached to a heavy object to sink to the bottom of the sea. The Pentagon said it chose this option because no country wants to reserve burial places for bin Laden, with fears that his tomb could become a pilgrimage site for extremists and terrorists.

Trump could not hide his joy. He alluded to a successful military campaign by the end of October 26 by writing on Twitter that "a huge event has just happened!".

He made the official announcement of the raid on October 27 in the White House's Foreign Office, spending more than 45 minutes telling and answering questions about the raid.

By the evening of October 27, Trump's re-election campaign was ready to turn the raid into a political victory. They sent documents to supporters: "Trump brought the notorious terrorist leader to justice. He was keeping America safe."